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Quieter Than Killing by Sarah Hilary (Marnie Rome #4)

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Synopsis: It’s winter, the nights are dark and freezing, and a series of seemingly random assaults is pulling DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake out onto streets of London. When Marnie’s family home is ransacked, there are signs that the burglary can have only been committed by someone who knows her. Then a child goes missing, yet no-one has reported it. Suddenly, events seem connected, and it’s personal.

Someone out there is playing games. It is time for both Marnie and Noah to face the truth about the creeping, chilling reaches of a troubled upbringing. Keeping quiet can be a means of survival, but the effects can be as terrible as killing.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I was looking forward to once again getting re-acquainted with DI Marnie Rome and her colleague Noah! One thing I will say is that I always really enjoy these books but have a feeling there is something ‘missing’. I have come to the conclusion that Sarah Hilary has something planned and I think that is the reason I have that niggling feeling. These books are so enjoyable but I have now realised that what makes her books a little different to others is that nagging feeling. Did I miss something? What is going on? I actually think that this part of what draws me to return to the series as I still feel like as a reader we are only at the scratch the surface stage with these characters.

I always enjoy reading about Marnie as she has a seriously warped history between the death of her parents, her adopted brother Stephen and her strange detachment. I think that this is what makes me have that unsettling feeling. There is so much history and it seems Rome is surrounded by violence and it gives it that dark undertone that never goes away. In addition Noah her colleague is my absolute favourite. He and Marnie work well together but again with his own issues in his personal life it seems that neither of them have a straightforward home life. This book at first seemed a little jagged, and what I mean by that is there seemed to be so much going on. Marnie’s family home is ransacked and that seems to be merely the tip of the iceberg. In addition there are a number of attacks going on in London, and to put the icing on the cake a child goes missing.

Something which I though was done exceptionally well was the narrative from Finn, I can’t say any more for fear of spoilers but this really gave the book that dark edge and horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. I found the start a little slower that I would have liked and I wondered at one point if I was keeping up correctly. With plot threads crossing as well as characters it finally started to unravel and make more sense. This is certainly a fast paced and complex book and I hugely enjoyed it, especially towards the last quarter. I think that this author has managed to produce a very dark series of books which I would highly recommend, however I think I will always have that sinking feeling while I almost wait for the worst to happen! I think this can certainly be read as a stand alone but think the build up and history of the series makes it that little bit more enjoyable.

The Caller by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #8)

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Synopsis: After a tough week, Tanya Kaitlin is looking forward to a relaxing night in, but as she steps out of her shower, she hears her phone ring. The video call request comes from her best friend, Karen Ward. Tanya takes the call and the nightmare begins.

Karen is gagged and bound to a chair in her own living room. If Tanya disconnects from the call, if she looks away from the camera, he will come after her next, the deep, raspy, demonic voice at the other end of the line promises her.

As Hunter and Garcia investigate the threats, they are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear. After a tough week, Tanya Kaitlin is looking forward to a relaxing night in, but as she steps out of her shower, she hears her phone ring. The video call request comes from her best friend, Karen Ward. Tanya takes the call and the nightmare begins.

As Hunter and Garcia investigate the threats, they are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Continue reading “The Caller by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #8)”

The Kicking The Bucket List by Cathy Hopkins

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Synopsis: Three sisters. Their mother’s dying wish. One last chance to be a family. Meet the daughters of Iris Parker. Dee; sensitive and big-hearted; Rose uptight and controlled and Fleur the reckless free spirit.At the reading of their mother’s will, the three estranged women are aghast to discover that their inheritance comes with very tricky strings attached. If they are to inherit her wealth, they must spend a series of weekends together over the course of a year and carry out their mother’s ‘bucket list’. But one year doesn’t seem like nearly enough time for them to move past the decades-old layers of squabbles and misunderstandings. Can they grow up for once and see that Iris’s bucket list was about so much more than money.

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

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Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens

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Synopsis: Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.

Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person. But has he really changed? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 … maybe even 6/5

Kat’s Review: Wow! Read this in just over one day and didn’t want to put it down. I only read my first CS book back in June 2015 (That Night) and since then have read Those Girls and I loved both of them. As soon as I saw this I wanted to get stuck in but had no idea how quickly I would be drawn in. Linsey Nash is married to Andrew and the first part of the book explores their early years and the descent into abuse by her husband who I learned to loathe pretty much from the start. Linsey has a daughter Sophie and a lot of what goes on, it’s clear is allowed to happen due to the threat of something happening to her, and leaving her daughter without a Mother. The writing and descriptions of Linsey’s home life are very dark and sinister and set the mood for the book.

We then fast forward and see Linsey and her daughter Sophie moving on with their life. However, when news filters through that Andrew has been released from prison the years fall away and Linsey is gripped with the fear she had become accustomed to in her early days from her marriage. You can literally feel the fear rolling off the pages and it makes for an incredibly tense read. Linsey is determined to move on but everything has now changed and although she is fighting for her safety and independence she cannot shake the feeling of being watched and followed.

Sophie, the daughter also has her own part to play in this book and as her own secrets are revealed the book becomes more involved and to be frank I ended up suspecting anybody that wasn’t a woman to be a potential suspect in becoming a danger to both Linsey and Sophie. The magical thing about this book is that it lulled me into a false sense of security and then the ending was just super exciting! Although the subject of abuse (domestic/verbal/physical) seems to be cropping up in many books I have read lately, this lady shows how it’s really done. There were moments my skin was crawling, and others where I would unconsciously feel a little bit wary. That level of skill to draw a reader in that much is something I absolutely love. I devoured this book and have no doubt this will make it to my top ten list for the coming year. Massively recommended, and I for one will be adding all of her unread books to my ‘to-read’ list.

Blood Mother by Dreda Say Mitchell (Flesh & Blood #2)

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Synopsis: Book 2 in a trilogy following one family over forty years on an East London estate, BLOOD MOTHER goes back to the 70s to tell the next story in the Flesh and Blood series

1970s London has stopped swinging, but it’s not staying still. Babs thought she had all the world ahead of her. Then she got pregnant and the father did a runner. Salvation comes in the form of a man who’ll look after her. Or so she thinks.

But Stan Miller is the devil in disguise…and over the next twenty years, Babs will have reason to regret she ever met him. Can she protect her family – or will he get the better of her?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

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Rome Is Where The Heart Is by Tilly Tennant

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Synopsis: Can a holiday romance ever have a happy ending? Escape with Kate to the sun-drenched city of Rome where a love affair is just about to begin …

When Kate’s husband Matt dumps her on Friday 13th she decides enough is enough – it’s time for her to have some fun and so she hops on a plane to Rome. A week of grappa and gelato in pavement cafes under azure blue skies will be just what the doctor ordered.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting and falling for sexy policeman Alessandro. But the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly – Alessandro has five meddling sisters, a fearsome mama and a beautiful ex Orazia. They’re all certain that Kate is not the girl for him.

Can Kate and Alessandro’s love last the distance? Or will she return home with the one souvenir she doesn’t want – a broken heart …

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I love the Tilly Tennant books I have already read and was really looking forward to reading this latest release. Kate is the star of the show and as the story starts we see her husband soon become her ex-husband as he decides they aren’t meant to be together any more. Fast forward a few months and Kate has made a bold decision. She is taking some holiday due from work and visiting Rome on her own. She decided that now she was on her own it was time to start doing things she wanted to do. When Kate lands at Rome airport she happens to run into a man named Jamie and they decide to share a taxi to the centre. That is the start of her remarkable holiday!

I fell in love with Jamie instantly and the descriptions of Rome were fantastic and have made me more excited about my own upcoming trip to Rome! During the course of her stay she also runs into local Policeman Alessandro and before you know it the two men involved seem to be turning her trip to Rome into something much more interesting. I also loved Alessandro’s crazy sister, and the story thread involving Jamie and his trip to Rome.

I thought I knew where the story was going however there was a slight change to that and the story took a sad but unexpected turn featuring Kate’s sisters. Although I loved this latest book it wasn’t my favourite of hers (hence the 4 stars instead of 5) but it still a thoroughly enjoyable read. This book is an ideal easy read to get you in the mood for you holidays. I also would love to see more on the characters we met in this book whether it be Jamie, or Kate’s sisters or indeed Kate herself. Another enjoyable book and I will look forward to the next one!

BLOG TOUR – The Promise by Casey Kelleher

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Synopsis: Growing up in squalor with their drug-addicted prostitute mother, sisters Georgie and Marnie Parker have had to endure the very darkest side of life. When their mother is sentenced for brutally murdering a client, Georgie and Marnie’s already precarious lives are blown apart and they now share a terrible secret. Sent to a children’s home, the sisters hope this might finally be their safe haven after years of neglect. But they soon discover they’re in real danger.

Desperate to find a place of safety, Georgie and Marnie run for their lives, but end up in the hands of Delray Anderton. A violent London gangster and notorious pimp, Delray has big plans for beautiful teenager Georgie, seeing her as a chance to make some serious money. Fiercely protective of each other, Georgie and Marnie must escape the clutches of a man who will do anything to keep the sisters for himself. And, they must keep the promise they made to each other – no one can ever know the truth.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: I love Casey’s books and her last one The Taken was an absolute belter of a book. Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed this latest release I couldn’t help thinking it wasn’t as good as the last book. Josie Parker is the mother of two young girls Georgie and Marnie Parker. Josie has spent her years selling her body and has ended up at the lower end of the market having abused drink and drugs. In all honesty the woman is a mess. Her two young children are forced to look after themselves and as such you can’t help but feel for these two poor defenceless children.

The story is a bit of a slow starter but there is a wide variety of characters to get your teeth into. Javine Turner is a young woman on the lookout for a wealth man and once she sets her sights on someone there is no getting away from her. Although on paper Javine is every mans worst nightmare she is a character I loved and was rooting for her throughout the book. Delray Anderton and his sidekick Lenny are known faces and are making their mark in London with their criminal activities. Both of them are brutal and fierce and widely feared.

When Josie is jailed for the murder of a man, Georgie and Marnie find themselves in their own fight for survival. The second half of the story was fast paced and the story was enthralling. However, I think the overlying reason this book wasn’t an entire success in my mind was that I had absolutely no sympathy for Josie. In fact I would go as far as to say I loathed the woman who was so selfish that her kids had to take care of themselves. By the time I had finished this I knew that it was a great read, and once again Casey Kelleher is firmly stamping her mark in this genre. However, it lacks the full rating down to my intense dislike of both Josie and Delray. That small issue aside this was another solid read and one that fans of Mandasue Heller and Martina Cole will love.

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A Room Full of Killers by MIchael Wood (DCI Matilda Darke #3)

51yPuavxa1L._SY346_ Synopsis: Eight killers. One house. And the almost perfect murder…

Starling House is home to some of the nation’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison.

When the latest arrival is found brutally murdered, DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, and discover a prison manager falling apart and a sabotaged security system. Neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted.

The only person Matilda believes is innocent is facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate, and find a murderer in a house full of killers…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “A Room Full of Killers by MIchael Wood (DCI Matilda Darke #3)”

Revenge by Nigel May

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Synopsis: In the South of France, playground of the rich and famous, world renowned chef Dexter Franklin is organising a night to remember. As he opens the doors to his exclusive restaurant for the first time, he’s handpicked a list of guests, as hot and dazzling as the St Tropez sun itself:

Mew Stanton: Fashionable, beautiful and a notorious TV chef, Dexter’s ex-girlfriend has all the ingredients for success. As her books fly off the shelves, a secret from her past is about to surface with explosive consequences.

Holly Lydon: Ex girlband star who has fallen on hard times. Forced to make ends meet she’s having to sleep her way to the top. Now she’s making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Rosita Velázquez: Brazilian actress extraordinaire and girlfriend of Dexter’s brother, Leland. When she’s in town everybody needs to know about it, but this is one show-stopping entrance she’ll live to regret.

Three women have a past with Dexter and a grudge to bear against him. As fireworks ignite in the jet set capital of Europe, there’s murder on the menu. Who will be served their just desserts?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Well Mr May, it seems you have a never ending supply of bitch, glamour and salacious filled ideas! Yet again Nigel May has produced a stellar read in this genre and one that is filled to the brim with everything a reader of this genre could ask for and more! With a beautiful cover to boot, it seems Nigel’s books are getting more raunchy and dark with each year that passes, just how I like it!

The description for Nigel May in the past has been like a male version of Jackie Collins and this description couldn’t be more apt, so those of you who are JC fans you REALLY need to get on board with this author. Set in the South of France you already have the backdrop of this beautiful sun-drenched playground filled to the brim with the rich and famous. We get introduced to Dexter Franklin, the TV star and famous Celebrity Chef on the brink of opening his newest restaurant Tresor, and compiling his celebrity list of attendees. That list includes the basis for the main characters appearing in this book, and boy do they make an interesting bunch.

Mew Stanton and Holly Lydon were once band members of the famous Girl Group Crazy Sour, however with the band splitting up they are both now on very different paths. Dexter’s brother Leland who is a celebrity in his own right with and his girlfriend Rosita an actress who appears only to be famous in her home country of Brazil. Add in to that the Food Critic DC, and a plot line that had me hooked from the beginning and the story grabs you from the outset.

There are certainly a lot of characters and the story line at first seems disjointed, but man alive it certainly comes to an explosive head upon the opening night of Tresor. All of the characters I loved with the exception of Leland who frankly was a vile character, but who ticked all the right boxes with those sorts of characters you love to hate. By Chapter 4 it was clear that no housework would be done that evening so I settled down and made it to just over the halfway mark in the book in one sitting. The rest was devoured on a morning commute and my lunch hour! This latest offering is packed to the brim with a tantalising story line and characters that are so shallow and self absorbed I was completely entranced.

Each character brings something to the story along with the perils and pitfalls of fame. I truly loved this book and think that Nigel May is an author that is massively under-rated. I would say that his books are NOT for the faint hearted or for those that shock easily. I thought his last book was his best but take that back whole heartedly in replacement for this one. A trued ‘Bonk Buster’ that was a delight to read!

BLOG TOUR: Don’t Look Behind You by Mel Sherratt (Eden Berrisford #2_

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Synopsis: She got into bed but sleep didn’t come easily. Every creak in the house made her alert. She was waiting for him to come and get her.

The small city of Stockleigh is in shock as three women are brutally attacked within days of each other. Are they random acts of violence or is there a link between the victims? For Detective Eden Berrisford, it’s her most chilling case yet.

The investigation leads Eden to cross paths with Carla, a woman trying to rebuild her life after her marriage to a cruel and abusive man ended in unimaginable tragedy. Her husband Ryan was imprisoned for his crimes but, now he’s out and coming for her.

As Eden starts to close in on the attacker, she also puts herself in grave danger. Can she stop him before he strikes again? And can Carla, terrified for her life, save herself – before the past wreaks a terrible revenge?

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: We are finally back for the second installment featuring Eden Berrisford, and thankfully we didn’t have that long to wait! I really enjoyed the first in this series and was looking forward to seeing where Eden was at now. The one thing that struck me with the first book was that I didn’t really thing I got that much of an insight into Eden’s personal life. Sure we got the overview, but by the end of the first book I still wasn’t entirely sure what I thought of her, and I certainly wasn’t sure what sort or character she would turn out to be. It felt like we had only scratched the surface. Again this book takes back another layer, but I am still at the end of this book keen to know more about the lady herself. I have come to the conclusion though, that I am massively biased as my favourite character of Mel Sherratt’s has always been Allie Shenton!

This latest book brings you some uncomfortable reading material, but one that makes for a compelling read. There are a few stand out characters, and Carla is one such character. A woman who is trying to rebuild her life following the breakdown of her marriage to a violent and abusive man. That is just the tip of the iceberg for Carla and as event unfold in the book, events in Carla’s past also unfold bringing about an understanding as to why she has got to the situation she currently finds herself in.

Eden and her team are meanwhile trying to catch the perpetrator if some vicious attacks on the women in the area. Each attach becomes more brutal and violent and Eden and the team are left trying to work out what attacks are linked, if any and if they are then the need to find the person responsible. Eden’s team consist of a good bunch but actually the addition of the old school and almost neanderthal colleague Phil was actually a character that by the end, I was hoping would make a repeat appearance. However the characters within Eden’s team are all written in such a way it seems they are all meant to be together, so I look forward to seeing them all in the next installment,

There is a lot of violence surrounding domestic abuse and obviously the attacks on women add to that general theme of the book so sometimes it doesn’t make for light reading that’s for sure, but it certainly has the desired effect of putting an edge to every element of the story. This latest book was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I especially loved seeing a bit more about Eden’s home life, however I have a sneaking suspicion that with all that has gone on in this book, the next one will reveal even more. Another great series buy Mel Sheratt, although I have to confess it still doesn’t quite live up to the Allie Shenton books for me.